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Psst! We're moving!
Is there always someone teaching her bad habits?
— Zhang Lurang
The summer in City Z was exceptionally hot, with the heat rising from the concrete ground.
Not far away, the sycamore trees seemed to be melting into green water, standing still under the scorching sun without a breeze.
Occasionally, a few students passed by on a nearby path, holding umbrellas and whispering towards this side.
University military training lasted half a month, and its intensity was much higher than that of high school military training.
Su Zaizai stood amidst a sea of green, finding the time particularly difficult to endure.
Sweat dripped down like rain from her forehead, running along her hair and into her eyes.
The alkaline liquid irritated her eyes, causing them to sting and ache.
Su Zaizai resisted the urge to wipe it dry.
Soon, another drop fell — plop .
Unable to bear it any longer, Su Zaizai was just about to report when she heard the distant sound of a whistle.
She secretly sighed in relief.
After hearing the instructor announce a break, she immediately sat on the scorching ground and took out a tissue from her pocket to wipe her face.
Her classmates rushed over to drink water nearby.
Her roommate Cui Yuxuan brought Su Zaizai’s water bottle over and sat in front of her to talk.
“Damn, I’m so tired; it’s only been a week...”
Su Zaizai weakly lifted her eyes and softly said: “Thank you.”
Another roommate, Zhang Ke, came closer, looking towards the distance and said: “But the deputy platoon leader is really handsome!”
“He is handsome! But so fierce...”
Su Zaizai didn’t join in the conversation.
After drinking water, she stood up and put the water bottle back.
Su Zaizai massaged her neck, looked up, and accidentally met the gaze of the deputy platoon leader.
His features were sharp, his lips tightly pressed together, making him look very serious.
...He did look quite fearsome.
Su Zaizai withdrew her gaze and slowly walked back.
Her three roommates were still discussing that deputy platoon leader.
“—The deputy platoon leader seems to be from our department, sophomore journalism major.”
Amidst their chatter, Su Zaizai suddenly spaced out.
...I wonder if Rang Rang applied sunscreen.
She bought him one even more expensive than the one she uses herself.
But the amount wasn’t much; I wonder if it’s enough.
I’ll buy another one online tonight...
________________________________________
The afternoon training was lighter than the morning’s.
Su Zaizai’s sweat glands seemed to have been activated by the heat; the slightest warmth caused sweat to pour down continuously.
Taking advantage of the instructor’s inattention, Su Zaizai quickly reached out and wiped her sweat with her sleeve.
After wiping the sweat off without being noticed by the instructor, she felt incredibly refreshed.
Her joy didn’t last long before the deputy platoon leader leisurely approached from a short distance.
The corners of his mouth curved into a smile, oddly somewhat malicious.
He stopped in front of Su Zaizai without speaking.
This silent pressure made Su Zaizai break out in a cold sweat.
Soon, the deputy platoon leader chuckled softly and said: “Who told you to move?”
His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for others in the class and the instructor nearby to hear.
Noticing the approaching figure of the instructor, Su Zaizai gritted her teeth and proactively admitted her mistake.
“Reporting, Instructor, I moved earlier to wipe my sweat.”
The instructor sternly reprimanded her but didn’t punish her much.
Su Zaizai sighed in relief and dared not harbor any侥幸psychology afterward.
________________________________________
After the military training ended, Su Zaizai joined the new media department of the student union in her department, planning the activities for the welcome party.
Coincidentally, the minister was her deputy platoon leader during military training, Xie Linnan.
Zhang Lurang didn’t sign up for any department; he spent his days either attending classes or studying in the library, or finding Su Zaizai.
That day, after editing the final activity video, it was almost time for class.
Su Zaizai leaned against the chair back, her gaze sweeping around.
Her other three roommates were still napping.
They had stayed up late last night, and Su Zaizai was so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open.
Su Zaizai’s schedule differed from her roommates’.
She had an Ideological and Moral Cultivation class in the afternoon, while her roommates had no classes at all.
Thinking about how she got marked as absent last week, Su Zaizai was deeply conflicted about whether to attend this time.
If she didn’t go, no one would likely help her check in.
And if she skipped class too many times, the teacher might call her name every class…
After much hesitation.
Su Zaizai suppressed her conscience and decided to skip again.
Having made up her mind, Su Zaizai no longer hesitated and immediately climbed onto her bed to sleep.
Before sleeping, she messaged Zhang Lurang on WeChat to arrange dinner together and complained about the roll call situation.
Su Zaizai: Sigh, it’s really frustrating.
Su Zaizai: Whenever I go, the teacher never calls my name.
Su Zaizai: The moment I don’t go, she definitely calls my name.
Zhang Lurang stared at the messages she sent, quickly understanding and furrowing his brows.
— You’re skipping class again.
Su Zaizai had already made her decision and wasn’t afraid of his lecture.
Su Zaizai: Rang Rang, think about it.
Su Zaizai: You only fail directly if you skip three times.
Su Zaizai: Anyway, I’ve already been recorded once.
Su Zaizai: Thinking about it this way, if I don’t skip two classes, it’s such a waste.
Zhang Lurang on the other end seemed to be speechless, taking a long time to reply.
Su Zaizai thought more and more that it made sense, reminded him again about dinner, and then put her phone aside.
Covering her head with the blanket, she instantly fell asleep.
On the other side.
Zhang Lurang sighed and pulled out Su Zaizai’s schedule from his phone.
Zhang Lurang packed up his things, took a textbook for his major course, and stuffed it into his backpack.
In the dormitory, the curtains were tightly closed, and the steady, gentle breathing of his roommates could be heard.
The air conditioner was running, making the temperature slightly cool, which was especially comfortable in the scorching summer.
Zhang Lurang opened the dormitory door.
The door, being old, creaked as it opened.
With a “thud,” it shut behind him, separating Zhang Lurang from the quiet and comfortable atmosphere inside.
On such a hot day, he had to go to a large classroom without air conditioning...
To check in for his girlfriend.
Zhang Lurang couldn’t quite describe this feeling.
He used to dislike such morally questionable actions the most.
Although Su Zaizai said so now, if she got marked as absent later, her mood would probably sour again.
...But still, let’s help her out.
Upon arriving, Zhang Lurang found a seat in the back corner and sat down.
He pulled out his earphones from his backpack and placed them aside.
Planning to put them on after roll call and focus on studying.
Two girls sitting in the back row were whispering softly, their words clearly reaching his ears.
“Look, Xie Linnan is here again...”
“Really? Why does he keep coming? Is he retaking the course?”
“No way, he won the scholarship.”
Soon, the class bell rang.
A slightly plump female teacher stood at the podium and opened the attendance system.
Zhang Lurang immediately stopped writing and listened attentively to the names being called.
Not long after, Su Zaizai’s name was called.
Zhang Lurang touched his neck, lowered his head, and raised his right hand.
His expression was somewhat uncomfortable.
At the same time, a male student two rows diagonally ahead also raised his hand.
The teacher, who had been looking down while calling names, seemed to sense something and lifted her head at this moment.
She quickly scanned the room and immediately noticed the two boys raising their hands simultaneously.
The teacher frowned, half-smiling and half-teasing: “Are there any students with the same name in your class? No, right?”
Zhang Lurang turned his head, expressionlessly staring at the back of the boy in front.
“And this Su Zaizai, I remember is a girl, right?”
“She didn’t come? Then I’ll mark her as absent.”
“That’s the second time. If she misses one more class, she’ll have to retake the course.”
Regarding the issue of gender, Zhang Lurang was helpless.
Irritated, he sighed deeply, silently picked up his earphones, and put them on.
The boy who had also raised his hand for Su Zaizai suddenly turned around.
He looked at Zhang Lurang and suddenly smiled.
His rugged yet handsome features relaxed slightly, the corners of his mouth rising slightly, carrying a hint of provocation.
Sensing something, Zhang Lurang also looked over.
Their eyes met.
The next second, Zhang Lurang casually lowered his gaze and continued reading.
Xie Linnan found his reaction boring, shrugged, and turned back around.
________________________________________
After waking up from her nap, it was almost dinner time.
Su Zaizai immediately picked up her phone beside her pillow and saw Zhang Lurang’s latest reply.
— Not eating.
Su Zaizai was a bit confused and asked: Why not eat?
Su Zaizai: Don’t you have time? I’ll bring food to you.
Su Zaizai: Are you in class?
Speaking of which, Su Zaizai flipped through Zhang Lurang’s schedule in her phone gallery.
Su Zaizai scratched her head, feeling a bit anxious.
— What do you want to eat? Shall I get you some pork rib rice?
— Don’t you have an appetite? Then how about porridge?
After waiting for a while and not receiving a reply,
Su Zaizai decided to get up, change her clothes, and head out.
Before reaching the cafeteria, Su Zaizai received a call from Zhang Lurang.
His voice was low and deep, revealing no emotion.
“Where are you?”
Su Zaizai blinked and cheerfully replied: “I’m going to the cafeteria. What do you want to eat?”
There was a pause on the other end, followed by an inexplicable question: “What did you say your minister’s name was last time?”
Although she didn’t know why he was asking, Su Zaizai honestly answered: “Xie Linnan.”
Zhang Lurang’s eyelids drooped, his heart sour and bitter, swelling with discomfort.
He ran his fingers through his hair, picked up his phone and meal card, and left the dormitory.
“I’ll come find you.”
________________________________________
Su Zaizai arrived at the cafeteria first and ordered two meals from one of the windows.
Not knowing how long it would take for Zhang Lurang to arrive,
Su Zaizai hesitated for a moment and lined up at a milk tea shop inside the cafeteria.
Thinking about Zhang Lurang saying he wasn’t eating earlier, she felt a bit disheartened.
On such a hot day, buying some lemon water might help stimulate his appetite...
While Su Zaizai was still contemplating, someone suddenly patted her shoulder and greeted her.
She instinctively turned around—it was a girl from her class.
Coincidentally, her phone in her pocket vibrated.
At the same time, the girl spoke: “You didn’t go to your Ideological and Moral Cultivation class today?”
With her mentioning it, it probably meant Su Zaizai had been marked as absent.
Su Zaizai didn’t care much and directly admitted: “Ah, yeah...”
However, the girl’s next words were like a bolt of lightning.
They crashed down on her, leaving her utterly irrational.
“Two boys raised their hands to check in for you during class today. One was Senior Xie, and the other was very handsome—I don’t know who he is... Is he your boyfriend?”
Su Zaizai was stunned but thought of Zhang Lurang’s question just now...
She nodded and dazedly said: “Mm, my boyfriend.”
Subsequently, she took out her phone from her pocket.
Zhang Lurang had replied:
— I’ve arrived. Where are you?
Su Zaizai glanced toward the entrance of the cafeteria.
She saw Zhang Lurang looking down at his phone, his tall and upright figure silhouetted against the light, making it hard for her to see his expression clearly.
Su Zaizai forgot that she was queuing for drinks and directly walked toward Zhang Lurang.
She bounced over to him and mischievously grinned: “Rang Rang, did you go to check in for me today?”
Zhang Lurang put his phone into his pants pocket and softly responded.
Upon hearing his affirmative answer, Su Zaizai’s sense of satisfaction was almost overflowing.
The next second, Zhang Lurang lowered his gaze, stared into her eyes, and opened his mouth.
His words were low and slow, his emotions unmasked.
“I got marked because another boy also raised his hand.”
Su Zaizai pulled him toward where she had placed the food trays.
“That’s not my fault. You can’t blame it on me.”
Zhang Lurang: “...”
“Do you feel especially threatened now?” Su Zaizai shamelessly said.
“...I don’t.”
Hearing this, Su Zaizai instinctively tilted her head and saw his familiar gesture.
Unable to help herself, she curved her lips and suggested: “I’ve already been marked twice. I definitely need to attend every class from now on. Why don’t you come with me?”
Zhang Lurang’s expression showed some hesitation.
Not getting the answer she wanted, Su Zaizai began to threaten him: “Aren’t you afraid your beautiful girlfriend will be pursued by someone else?”
“...”
“Not afraid?”
Zhang Lurang sat down and helped her break apart the disposable chopsticks.
Soon, he obediently admitted: “Afraid.”
His voice was low, somewhat muffled.
His response made Su Zaizai pause for a moment.
Su Zaizai quickly touched his hand on the table, pretending to comfort him, thinking she wasn’t taking advantage.
“Don’t worry, I only like you.”
Unusually, Zhang Lurang didn’t get angry or lecture her.
He lifted his eyes slightly, something stirring in them.
Seeing him not touching his chopsticks for a long time, Su Zaizai couldn’t help but remind him to eat.
Finally, Zhang Lurang spoke.
His tone was somewhat aggrieved, hoarse and heavy.
“Don’t scare me.”
________________________________________
The next day, the department had a dinner gathering.
The student leaders chatted happily, creating a very lively atmosphere.
Xie Linnan, sitting across from Su Zaizai, suddenly asked: “Su Zaizai, is your boyfriend in the computer science department?”
Su Zaizai lifted her eyes and hummed in response.
She recalled what the girl had said yesterday—that Xie Linnan had checked in for her—and instantly felt something strange.
“My computer broke down. Can I have him fix it for me?” Xie Linnan’s lips curled into a big smile. “It’s not difficult, just reinstalling the system.”
At the mention of Zhang Lurang, Su Zaizai’s rationality vanished, and her guard went up.
Why would he randomly ask her boyfriend to fix his computer? And does being in the computer science department automatically mean he can fix computers?
Zhang Lurang hadn’t been studying for long!
Had he checked in for her yesterday just to get Zhang Lurang’s attention...
The more Su Zaizai thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
She looked at Xie Linnan and earnestly spoke, though her response was off-topic.
“He has a girlfriend.”
Xie Linnan’s smile stiffened: “...”
________________________________________
One day in early December.
Su Zaizai rested her elbow on the back of the chair, lowering her eyes as she chatted with Zhang Lurang.
While waiting for his reply, she raised her gaze and suddenly noticed tiny red marks on Cui Yuxuan’s neck.
She stared at them for a while, wondering what they were.
After pondering for a long time, Su Zaizai still couldn’t figure it out. Unable to resist, she pointed and asked: “Is this an allergic reaction or a bug bite?”
Cui Yuxuan didn’t seem to mind much, her expression carefree: “This? What do you mean?”
Beside her, Lin Ke burst out laughing: “What do you mean? That’s a hickey!”
Su Zaizai was a bit stunned, turning to look at Cui Yuxuan, her expression hesitant.
“You and your boyfriend? Haven’t you only been together for over a month...?”
“We just kissed on the lips and neck; nothing else,” Cui Yuxuan replied. Then, curious, she asked, “What about you and your boyfriend? Haven’t you two been together for over two years?”
Su Zaizai thought back, her expression somewhat proud.
“Our progress was quite fast. We reached second base the day before we got together.”
Cui Yuxuan’s eyes sparkled: “What about now? What about now?!”
Su Zaizai fell silent for a moment.
“...Still second base.”
The small dorm room instantly became awkwardly quiet.
Another roommate, Deng Qin, couldn’t help but speak up: “What’s going on? No progress at all after two years together?”
Su Zaizai blinked innocently: “What kind of progress...?”
“At least third base! If not a home run!”
She waved dismissively: “Impossible.”
Cui Yuxuan couldn’t resist giving her advice: “Why don’t you take the initiative?”
Su Zaizai had already given up hope.
“It doesn’t matter if I try.”
“Ah, why don’t you tell him some dirty jokes...”
Hearing this, Su Zaizai widened her eyes: “How could I! He’d kill me!”
“How so? Isn’t that just playful banter between couples?” Lin Ke propped her chin, earnestly saying, “After you say it, make sure to act shy, and he’ll probably be burning with desire.”
Su Zaizai fell silent, contemplating her words, her expression thoughtful.
________________________________________
The ink-black sky was streaked with deep gray clouds.
Moonlight filtered through the thin cloud layer, reflecting on the calm lake surface.
The wind around them howled loudly, the chill biting.
Su Zaizai, led by Zhang Lurang, walked along the lakeside.
She chattered away about recent events, while Zhang Lurang listened attentively.
One talking, one listening—it was extraordinarily harmonious.
Just as they approached the dormitory building, Su Zaizai suddenly remembered Lin Ke’s words.
She tilted her head, gazing at his moonlit lips, rosy and vivid.
Like a flower inviting to be picked.
Su Zaizai instinctively swallowed.
Soon, she stopped walking, causing Zhang Lurang to pause as well.
The sudden halt and silence made Zhang Lurang puzzled.
He turned his head, looking down at her: “What’s wrong?”
Su Zaizai avoided Zhang Lurang’s gaze.
Biting her lip, she recited the dirty joke she had thought about all night regarding Zhang Lurang.
“Rang Rang.”
Hearing her speak, Zhang Lurang finally exhaled in relief and responded.
“When I say ‘move aside’ to you in the future, it means...”
Zhang Lurang watched the little swirl on top of her head and faintly responded: “Hmm?”
“Zhang Lurang, spread your legs.”
“...”
“Remember to spread them wide.”
“...”
Long after she finished speaking, Zhang Lurang remained silent.
The sound of the wind grew louder, as if mocking her words.
She had thought long and hard about this joke, feeling it was both flirtatious and fitting for the moment.
Even if he didn’t find it funny, he shouldn’t be angry...
Su Zaizai nervously raised her head, wondering if she hadn’t acted shy enough yet.
Before she could think further...
After a long silence, Zhang Lurang finally spoke.
His voice was cold and rigid, showing no sign of amusement.
“Go back by yourself.”
Su Zaizai: “...”
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